BAY AREA BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEMS BLOG

This is our 10th of 12 blogs on the subject of SIP Trunks. Subscribe in the box to the right to receive an email notification for each one in the series. In this post, we will be taking a look at SIP Trunking pricing -- including set up fees and ongoing costs.

Set Up Fees of SIP Trunking

This can vary by SIP Trunking provider. Some providers charge a set-up fee while others recover their set-up costs over time by charging higher monthly fees. If the provider charges a set-up fee, expect fees in the range of $50 to $250

411 Directory Listing

When you set up your phone numbers, you're required by law to notify all the phone directory services of the change. This is so that your white and yellow page information is accurate. Your provider should charge between $10 and $50.

Local Number Portability (LNP)

If you wish to keep your old phone numbers when you move to your new SIP Trunking provider, you'll need to "LNP" your numbers. A charge per number moved is from $5 to $25, depending upon quantity and vendor. Some vendors will negotiate or waive the cost for large quantities of DID's.

New DIDs

If you want to establish new DID (Direct Inward Dial) service so everyone in your office has their own telephone, there is a one-time cost to establish those numbers. The typical cost is between .25 to $2.00 per number.

PBX Configuration

The cost for implementing SIP Trunking on your PBX has a very wide range. SIP Trunking on a traditional legacy PBX (Nortel, Avaya, NEC, Mitel, etc.) might be expensive, as you'll need to purchase a gateway that converts SIP to PRI. If you have a newer IP PBX such as a Shoretel or Cisco, your cost will be the price of a SIP Card or license and installation. If you already own a PBX that natively supports SIP, the cost to configure for SIP Trunks is minimal, and it will be easy for your vendor.

SIP Trunking Ongoing Costs

SIP Trunks

SIP Trunk providers typically offer two versions:

Unlimited Usage: These Trunks cost more, but include unlimited domestic inbound and outbound calls. The range is from $30 to $49 per trunk per month

Metered Call Path: On a metered Trunk you pay for your phone calls on a per minute basis, much as you did with your old phone service. The monthly cost per path ranges from free to $15 per month. The cost per minute is in the range of 2-5 cents per minute.

International Calls

Rates for international calls are different for each country called. But typically, SIP Trunk providers charge 10% to 30% less than a traditional carrier.

Toll-Free Numbers

Providers charge monthly for each toll free number you have. Prices range from $1 to $25 per number per month.

Toll-Free Usage

You will be charged for toll-free usage. Rates range from 2-5 cents per minute typically.

911 Service

Expect to pay about $2 per month for e911 service plus a fee for each 911 call.

411 Service

Typical "information" 411 service is priced by the call. Prices range from $1 to $3.50 per call.

Surcharges, Taxes and Fees

You can't avoid these surcharges, taxes and fees, even with SIP Trunking. But you can reduce them significantly with SIP Trunking because they're based on your monthly charges. Lower monthly charges mean fewer surcharges, taxes and fees.

In our next blog in the series, we will go in depth on the SIP Trunking implementation process.